Is Ghana Turning to a Scourge of the Nigerian Nation? Ignatius’Nat Muotoh

Views the unfortunate ill-treatment of Nigerians in Ghana as a direct reflection of failure of successive Nigerian governments to record a progressive scorecard and ensure the safety of lives and property of her citizens, wherever they legitimately reside

There goes a popular Igbo proverb that says “when an adult behaves like a mouse, the cat automatically hunts it down for food.” Nigerians have watched with shock, the xenophobic and discriminatory events unfolding in Ghana, and directed specifically at Nigerian nationals doing legitimate businesses in that country. The Ghanaian officials had recently sealed off the shops belonging to Nigerian traders in Accra for allegedly failing to have the ($1million) one-million-dollar equity stipulated by the Ghana Investment Promotions Council. This amount by any means, is considered unrealistic and unreasonable.

It’s quite important to state right here, that Ghana, a sister country in the West African Sub-region is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also, with its headquarters at Abuja Nigeria.

To so many of us, this unprecedented demand by the Ghana Investment Promotions Council, is simply another way of labelling all Nigerian businessmen and women operating legitimately in that country, ‘persona non grata’ and as such, are requested to eave Ghana.

As much as a nation has the right to do as she pleases within her territories, this unprecedented demand by a Ghanaian government agency, is indicative of a ‘new low’ successive Nigerian governments have plunged the Nigerian state into. It might suffice to state here, that the government of Ghana will never contemplate making such an unreasonable demand from the nationals of say South Africa, Rwanda or Britain who operate their legitimate businesses in Ghana.

Unreasonable and discriminatory as it is, these measures reminds one of the ‘good old days’ for Nigeria.

There was a time, when having a Nigerian passport was the vogue and a matter of pride. I still remember the good old days when as a Nigerian, one can walk into any British High Street Bank in major cities of the United Kingdom, with the Naira and come out 10 minutes later with £0.78p to your N1 (being the exchange rate at that time). I’ll gladly add that one was not even required in those days, to complete any complicated application form that may require your details and that of your extended families for such transaction.

Those were the days when one naira exchanged for five thousand Ghanaian cedis (N1/GHC5,000). It was also the days when ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ jute bags were carried by Ghanian refugees like bouquet of flowers in all corners of Nigeria. I also remember as a young Nigerian student in England; walking into an exclusive nightclub/restaurant in the company of my fellow students from Kenya, Zambia and Ghana. When asked by the doorman to identify ourselves and where we come from, my friends claimed that they are Nigerian nationals also. Those were the days, when it was a thing of pride to introduce oneself as a Nigerian. Not anymore. Today, one needs N600 to exchange for a £1 if one is lucky enough to complete such transaction before the Naira depreciates further.